By Khalida Sarwari
What does it take to keep communities safe? What factors go into creating a budget? How can citizens make a difference in their communities? A county leadership program set to begin next month will address just those questions.
Created in November 2011, the “Santa Clara County Gov 101 Academy” is a program that aims to provide residents with a comprehensive overview of county government and its role and responsibilities. The program promotes engagement and understanding of the programs and services offered by the county. It also encourages participation in advisory commissions and volunteer opportunities with the overarching goal of creating a more informed public.
Over the course of 10 weeks, participants will have an opportunity to learn through interactive curriculum and visits to public facilities to see how their tax dollars are spent firsthand.
Each class focuses on a different topic. The first week of the academy will be an overview of the county, where participants will learn about services while visiting county facilities, including the county fire training tower, sheriff’s office, county library, social services and county parks. This program will be followed by a session on taxes, and another on keeping the community safe. The theme of subsequent programs will be “justice at work,” “supporting the community,” “protecting the environment and consumers,” “healthy communities,” “24/7 community service,” “enhancing community life” and ways to get involved.
County Board of Supervisors President Mike Wasserman said that one of his goals has been to increase public awareness about the programs and services provided by the county. “The SCC Gov 101 Academy is a great way for residents to learn about county government,” said Wasserman. “Graduates of the program are often surprised to learn about the diverse array of county services.”
The academy will hold its first session on Feb. 11. About 40 seats will be distributed across the county, with eight available in each of the five supervisorial districts. Most sessions will occur on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. One half-day session will take place on a Saturday. The program will culminate with a graduation ceremony at a Tuesday morning board of supervisors meeting.
Applications are available on the county’s website at sccgov.org/sccgov101app. The application deadline is Jan. 15. There is a $30 materials fee, which can be waived in cases of financial hardship.
County executive Jeff Smith advised those interested to submit their applications early, “since there were more candidates than spaces available in the past three years.”
For more information about the program, contact the public affairs office atSCCPublicAffairs@ceo.sccgov.org or call 408.299.5151.
Link: Discover how Santa Clara County operates at the Gov 101 Academy
